Semarang, Java, Indonesia

Semarang is Indonesia’s fifth largest city, located on the north coast of the island of Java. Its history dates back to the 9th century, when it was known as Bergota; by the end of 15th century, an Arab mullah by the name of Kyai Pandan Arang founded a village and an Islamic boarding school here. On May 2, 1547, after consulting Sunan Kalijaga, Sultan Hadiwijaya of Pajang declared Kyai Pandan Arang the first regent of Semarang, thus culturally and politically, on this day Semarang was born. In 1678, Sunan Amangkurat II promised to give control of Semarang to the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a part of a debt payment and four years later, the Semarang state was founded by the Dutch colonial power. On October 5, 1705, after years of occupations, Semarang officially became a VOC city when Susuhunan Pakubuwono made a deal to give extensive trade rights to the VOC in exchange for wiping out Mataram’s debt. VOC and later the Dutch East Indies government established tobacco plantations in the region, and built roads and railroads, making Semarang an important colonial trading center. In the 1920s the city became a center of leftist and nationalist activism, particularly with the founding of the Communist Party of Indonesia, which led Semarang to be known as the “Red City.” The Japanese military occupied the city, along with the rest of Java in 1942 during World War II. After Indonesian independence in 1945, Semarang became the capital of Central Java province. Extracted from mix sources

Pulau Komodo, Indonesia

Strait of Sumba separates the islands of Flores, Sumbawa and Komodo with the island of Sumba. Flores Island is next to Komodo one of the few Islands where the famous Komodo dragon can be found. Aside from its most famous residents, the Komodo dragons, the inhabitants of this island are mostly descendants of former convicts, exiled to the island and who have mixed with the indigenous Bugis from Sulawesi. The population is primarily Muslim, but Christianity and Hinduism are also practiced. Komodo is one of the 17,508 islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia and is part of the Lesser Sunda chain of islands and forms part of the Komodo National Park. The Komodo dragon, a type of monitor lizard, is the world’s largest and roams the island freely. It also makes it home on some of the smaller surrounding islands. The lizards grow to an average of between 6 and nearly 10 feet long (2 – 3 m) and weigh an average of 150lbs (70 kg). The dragon’s diet consists mainly of carrion, but they will hunt and ambush birds, invertebrates and mammals. Komodo dragons were discovered by Western scientists in 1910 and caused a sensation in zoos all over the world. Komodo National Park, founded in 1980, includes the three larger islands Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller ones, and was established in order to protect the dragons. It has since become dedicated to the protection of other species, including marine species. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. Although the Komodo dragon is the undeniable star attraction, scuba divers come from all over the world to marvel at the diversity of species that can be seen in the waters around these volcanic islands. EXTRACTED FORM MIX SOURCES

Lombok, Indonesia

Part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, Lombok is separated to west from Bali by Lombok Strait. The island is circular in shape with a “tail” at its southwest end and has a population of roughly 3 million inhabitants. The Dutch first visited the island in the late 1600s but settled mostly the eastern half, leaving the western half to be ruled by the dynastic Hindus from Bali. The Sasaks (native to Bali but with Islamic beliefs) chafed under Balinese rule. Cultural and religious tensions simmered until a revolt which occurred between 1891 and 1894 leading to the annexation of the entire island to the Netherland East Indies. Mount Rinjani is the islands most dramatic geological landmark, rising 12,224 feet (3,726m) making it the third highest in Indonesia. An active volcano, it last erupted in 1994. Its crater lake is considered sacred and the entire area was designated a National Park in 1997. Lombok, like Bali, is very tourist friendly and has many of the same attractions – delicious food, expert handicrafts, beautiful beaches and some of the best surfing in the entire world. It advertises itself as the “unspoiled Bali” in an attempt to draw more tourism to its rather sluggish economy. That said, the area is agriculturally fertile and food is plentiful and cheap. Due to its location, there is sufficient rain and several different climate zones. Tourism is recognized as Lombok’s highest source of income, and tourists are always warmly welcomed to the island with Indonesia’s world-famous hospitality. The Lombok Strait marks the passage of the biogeographically division between the fauna of the Indomalayan ecozone and the distinctly different fauna of Australasia that is known as the Wallace Line EXTRACTED FROM MIX SOURCES

History Of Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras came to the United States through its French heritage in 1699. Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" and of course is celebrated on that day of the week. The date can fall between February 3 and March 9 depending on the Lunar calendar, used by the Catholic Church to determine the date of Easter. Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter Sunday. The official colors for Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold. These colors were chosen in 1872 by the King of Carnival, Rex. He chose these colors to stand for the following: purple represents justice, green stands for faith, gold stands for power. The Mardi Gras season begins on January 6 and continues until Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.

The Bow Tie

The bow tie originated among Croatian mercenaries during the Prussian wars of the 17th century; the Croats used a scarf around the neck to hold together the opening of their shirts. This method was soon adopted (under the name “cravat”, a name perhaps derived from the word Croat) by the upper classes in France (then a leading country in the field of fashion) and flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is uncertain if the cravat then developed into the bowtie and necktie, or if the cravat gave rise to the bow tie, which in turn lead to the necktie.

Fremantle, Australia

Off the beaten track is the port of Fremantle or ‘Freo’ to the locals. It has a strong local identity, but has nonetheless been absorbed into Perth’s urban sprawl. In 1987, the port was the site of the unsuccessful defense of what was, for a brief period, one of Australia’s most prized possessions – the America’s Cup yachting trophy. Fremantle has been substantially revamped and is now filled with outdoor cafés, old buildings lively markets and is imbued with a laidback artsy ambience. Perth’s city center is fairly compact, situated on a sweep of the Swan River, which borders the city center to the south and east, linking Perth to Fremantle. The western end of Perth rises to the pleasant King’s Park, which overlooks the city, then extends to cosmopolitan Subiaco. Further west, suburbs extend as far as Scarborough and Cottesloe beaches on the Indian Ocean. The railway line bounds the city center on the northern side, with Northbridge immediately north of the line.

Perth, Australia

Perth was founded on June 12, 1829 by Captain James Stirling as a political center and has continued to serve as the seat of Government for Western Australia to the present day. Perth became known worldwide as the "City of Light," as residents lit their houselights and streetlights as American astronaut John Glenn passed overhead while orbiting the earth in 1962. The city repeated this extraordinary tribute again in 1998 as Glenn passed overhead in the Space Shuttle. The first documented European sighting of the region made by the Dutch Captain Willem de Vlamingh in 1697 determined that the area was inhospitable and unsuitable for the agriculture needed to sustain a settlement. Perth became the first full scale settlement by Europeans in the western third of Australia. The British colony was officially designated Western Australia in 1832, but was known informally as the Swan River Colony after the area's major watercourse named after its native black swans. Captain Stirling selected the name Perth for the capital to honor Sir George Murray, Secretary of State for the Colonies, born in Perth, Scotland. Hostile encounters between the British settlers and Aborigines increased as the colony grew, culminating in the execution of the Whadjuk tribal chief, the death of his son Yagan, and the Battle of Pinjarra in 1834. In 1850, convicts, who provided cheap labor, were allowed to work in Western Australia and in 1856 Queen Victoria announced the city status of Perth. Perth is one of the most isolated metropolitan areas in the world and is actually closer to East Timor, Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia, than it is to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Perth was founded in 1829 as the Swan River Settlement, but it grew very slowly until 1850, when convicts were brought in to alleviate the labor shortage. Many of Perth’s fine buildings, such as Government House and its Town Hall, were built using convict labor. Even then, Perth’s development lagged behind that of the eastern cities, until the discovery of gold in the 1890s increased the population four-fold in a decade and initiated a building boom. The region was already inhabited for 40.000 years by the Whadjuk Noongar aboriginals. The name aboriginal is derived from the Latin words ab origin, from the beginning, which indicates them as the true native people of Australia.

Cape Leeuwin

Cape Leeuwin is the most south-westerly point of the Australian continent. It is also here that the Indian Ocean is considered to meet the southern ocean Cape Leeuwin, which was named after the Dutch ship Leeuwin which rounded the South West cape in 1622. They were the first ones to put these regions on chart, before the French explorer Bruni d'Entrecasteaux charted this area. Extracted from mix sources

The Art of Aboriginal Australia

The art of Aboriginal Australia is the last great tradition of art to be appreciated by the world at large. Despite being one of the longest continuous traditions of art in the world, dating back at least fifty millennia, it remained relatively unknown until the second half of the twentieth century. Art is central to Aboriginal life. Whether it is made for political, social, utilitarian or didactic purposes—and these functions constantly overlap—art is inherently connected to the religious domain. The religious life of Aboriginal people centers on the Dreaming. The Dreaming is a European term used by Aborigines to describe the spiritual, natural and moral order of the cosmos. It relates to the period from the genesis of the universe to a time beyond living memory. Aboriginal art is a means by which the present is connected with the past and human beings with the supernatural world. Art activates the powers of the ancestral beings. Art expresses individual and group identity, and the relationships between people and the land. Because of Aboriginal art’s connection to the spiritual world, it was originally only created and viewed by those initiated to the proper level of awareness. However, in modern times, a significant body of art has emerged which is intended for the wider, public domain. Extracted from mix sources

The Archipelago of the Recherché

The Archipelago of the Recherché or research archipelago. Discovered by Dutch explorers sailing on the “Gulden Zeepaert” meaning Golden Seahorse in 1624, it became the hideout of Australia’s only recorded pirate: Black Jack Anderson. He frequented the islands around 1830 until being murdered by his own crew. In 1991 the Sanko Harvest a bulk carrier of 33,024 tons sank in the archipelago and it became the second largest wreck that can be dived on in the world. Extracted from mix sources

Longitude

Part of the solution for the loss of ships to miscalculated longitude called for developing a more accurate instrument for measuring altitudes. Out of this came the sextant, developed independently in 1730 by English mathematician Joseph Hadley and by American inventor Thomas Godfrey. In 1735 English watchmaker John Harrison completed the solution when he developed the chronometer, the first reasonably accurate portable timepiece. With a quality chronometer and a good sighting instrument on board, navigators had a much better chance to find their way. In the 19th century, European academics improved the mathematical methods of making calculations in celestial navigation. In 1884 European countries agreed to make the meridian of longitude that ran through Greenwich, England, the prime meridian. Until this time, each of the major European countries had claimed that the 0° meridian ran through their own capital city. Extracted from mix sources

Discovering Australia

The Australian Continent may have been discovered by the Portuguese before 1542 and the Arabs even earlier, but no evidence is available to support this theory, and for practical purposes the exploration of the coast may be taken to have begun by the Spaniards and Dutch. In 1606 the Spanish explorer De Torres passed through the strait that now bears his name (this strait is situated on the north side of the Australian continent), but no mention is made in his records of sighting the Australian Continent. In the same year Captain Jansz in the Dutch vessel Duyfken passed along the West Coast of Cape York in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Some of the crew landed were attacked by the Aborigines, and made no attempt to investigate the country. It may therefore be said that Captain Jansz discovered Australia. Extracted from mix sources

Guru Lawan Google

Senin, 16 Februari 2009 00:35 WIB R Arifin Nugroho ”It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." (Charles Darwin) Saat ini perkembangan ilmu pengetahuan telah menjadi pilar utama penyempurnaan hidup di muka bumi. Akibatnya, berbagai perubahan harus selalu terjadi setiap saat. Sesuai pernyataan Charles Darwin, jika manusia tidak ingin mengalami kepunahan, mereka harus memiliki sifat adaptif. Dalam menjalankan proses adaptasi tersebut diperlukan efektivitas untuk merespons perubahan. Akibat perilaku yang harus adaptif ini muncul teknologi komunikasi yang mampu melintasi sekat ruang dan waktu. Perubahan di dunia dapat diketahui lewat sebuah laptop hanya dalam hitungan detik. Agen pendidikan Salah satu teknologi canggih yang mampu memfasilitasi ilmu pengetahuan adalah Google. Google yang lahir dari pertemuan tidak sengaja antara Larry Page dan Sergey Brin pada tahun 1995 telah membalikkan sekat keterbatasan informasi. Embrio search engine yang diberi nama BackRub, pada tanggal 7 September 1998 berkembang sempurna menjadi Google. Mesin pencari supercanggih ini dapat mencari sebuah istilah hanya dalam satuan detik yang tersaji dalam jutaan situs internet. Di dunia pendidikan, search engine ini mampu mengubah jejaring pemikiran para pelaku pendidikan. Seorang siswa dapat searching seluas-luasnya untuk mengeksplorasi sebuah pengetahuan baru. Dari mencari arti kata, materi pelajaran, sampai teknologi yang terkini dapat digali dengan mudah. Banjir informasi menjadi fenomena yang sangat indah untuk dinikmati. Pemahaman tentang sebuah materi pelajaran pun terolah dengan lebih baik. Siswa tidak lagi harus mengeluarkan banyak biaya untuk membeli berbagai judul buku. Cukup klik dan dapat! Para pendidik juga tidak ketinggalan atas kehebatan teknologi mesin pencari ini. Dari pencarian silabus, soal ulangan, sampai artikel ilmiah terbaru dapat diakses dengan mudah. Transfer ilmu pengetahuan antara guru dan siswa dapat berjalan dengan efektif. Libido ilmu pengetahuan yang selama ini terkekang sekarang dapat tersalurkan dengan nyaman. Lebih dari Google Suatu saat pernah seorang guru menjadi merah padam di depan kelas akibat Google ini. Pagi itu seorang siswa sudah ”sarapan” dengan mengakses perkembangan teknologi terbaru melalui fasilitas Google. Kebetulan, materi pelajaran hari itu berhubungan dengan teknologi terkini yang ia temukan. Singkat cerita, di dalam kelas, siswa mencobai gurunya dengan bertanya seputar teknologi terbaru itu. Guru yang tadi pagi hanya sarapan nasi dan tempe itu akhirnya menjawab sekenanya, dan ternyata salah. Ia pun tergagap di depan kelas karena ditertawakan para murid akibat kesalahan yang ia lakukan. Sekelumit gambaran tadi menunjukkan pentingnya seorang guru untuk selalu meng-up grade diri. Siswa masuk kelas bukan lagi dengan tidak bermodal, tetapi telah penuh dengan fantasi dan eksplorasi ilmiahnya. Melihat situasi ini, lantas masih perlukah peran seorang guru? Bukankah Google lebih hebat daripada guru? Jika seorang guru diadu dengan Google dalam kecepatan mengartikan, jelas guru akan kalah telak. Lalu, bagaimana nasib seorang guru selanjutnya? Perlu diingat bahwa seorang guru bukan hanya pengajar yang mentransfer ilmu pengetahuan, tetapi sekaligus sebagai pendidik yang memanusiawikan manusia menjadi sempurna. Yesus Sang Isa Almasih pernah berkata, ”Jadilah kamu sempurna seperti Bapamu di surga sempurna adanya (Injil Matius 5:48)”. Ilmu eling marang sangkan paraning dumadi (ingat akan tujuan kita diciptakan) menjadi bekal dasar seorang guru. Guru bukan sekadar pesaing dari Google sebagai alat mentransfer ilmu pengetahuan. Guru memiliki peran lebih untuk menyempurnakan kehidupan seorang pribadi agar serupa dengan Sang Khalik. Tidak hanya menjadikan siswa having, melainkan being. Seperti dalam agama Hindu, guru bukan saja dinobatkan sebagai sang pembagi ilmu, tetapi sebagai tempat suci yang berisi ilmu (vidya). Hal ini semakin menguatkan peran guru yang sangat mulia. Guru masih lebih unggul daripada Google karena guru mampu mengajarkan sisi humanis yang tidak dapat diberikan mesin pencari secanggih apa pun. Dalam kehidupan nyata tidak hanya diperlukan berlimpahnya ilmu pengetahuan dalam otak, tetapi juga sisi manusiawi agar bisa memanusiawikan ilmu pengetahuan yang dimiliki dan memanusiawikan manusia saat berelasi dengan pribadi lain. Bukan kebun binatang Jika guru tetap sebatas mentransfer ilmu, sekolah tidak jauh berbeda dengan kebun binatang. Sebenarnya pendidikan bukanlah proses ”penjinakan”, tetapi ”peliaran”. Pendidikan kita seharusnya berusaha ”meliarkan”, memunculkan sifat manusiawi sebagai sifat dasar yang diberikan oleh Sang Pencipta kepada makhluk yang diberi nama manusia. Pendidikan bukanlah seperti kebun binatang dengan hiburan sirkus binatang di dalamnya. Di dalam kebun binatang terjadi proses domestikasi, yaitu membatasi kehidupan liar binatang. Akibatnya, sifat hewani tidak akan muncul dari dalam kebun binatang. Jeruji, tembok pembatas, dan ransum makanan menjadi cara untuk domestikasi. Atraksi berbagai binatang yang sering kita jumpai di kebun binatang semakin meyakinkan pembatasan kehidupan mereka. Para binatang tidak lagi diajar untuk bisa survive di kehidupan hewani liarnya, tetapi justru diajar untuk melakukan tindakan-tindakan aneh. Mana mungkin di tengah hutan ada monyet naik sepeda. Mana mungkin di tengah samudra yang penuh kompetisi dapat diatasi lumba-lumba karena kecerdasannya dalam mengerjakan soal penjumlahan. Jika guru telah lupa untuk mengajarkan sifat manusiawi suatu ilmu pengetahuan dan memanusiawikan peserta didik, pendidikan yang terjadi tidak jauh berbeda dengan situasi di kebun binatang. Pemahaman kita perlu disegarkan kembali bahwa teknologi hanyalah hasil akhir dari ilmu pengetahuan yang bersifat material, bisa rusak, bisa berubah, dan suatu saat bisa tidak bermanfaat. Karena itu, interaksi antarmanusia yang didasari kontak teknologi belaka akan terasa kering karena bersandar pada nilai material. Pendidikan tidak dapat bersandar pada teknologi semata, melainkan juga harus melibatkan hati yang dimiliki setiap pribadi manusia. Akhirnya ungkapan Charles Darwin akan semakin tepat dan survive jika dipadu dengan ungkapan indah Mariah Carey dalam lagunya yang berjudul ”Hero”: If you look inside your heart… you know you can survive. (Jika engkau becermin ke dalam hatimu, engkau tahu bahwa engkau bisa bertahan!) R ARIFIN NUGROHO Guru SMA Kolese De Britto Yogyakarta http://cetak.kompas.com/read/xml/2009/02/16/00355519/guru.lawan.google

4 Model Belajar (Hubungan Murid Dengan Guru)

Model 1 : "Semangat berguru", model diskusi seperti ini sering dilakukan antara murid dengan yang dianggap guru, pemberi pencerahan. Sang murid pada umumnya akan menundukkan pikiran dan mengosongkan (sedikit) kecerdasan yang dimilikinya. Murid model begini akan menyerap seluruh informasi dari gurunya, tanpa penolakan. Tentu saja murid model begini sudah merasa menemukan guru spiritual yang dirasanya cocok dan mengena dihatinya. Model 2 : "Semangat Pencerahan", seorang murid yang sedikit memiliki bekal dan didasari oleh ketundukan hati, berusaha menambah bekal-bekal yang dipungutnya disana-sini. Bertanya dan mencerna dengan baik segala pertanyaan dan jawabannya. Ada jawaban yang dia terima begitu saja karena masuk pada tataran keyakinan, ada pula jawaban yang mesti dia olah dulu dengan pikirannya, karena masuk pada tataran pemahaman logika. Dengan tetap tunduk, biasanya murid model begini akan mendapatkan pencerahan yang baik. Model 3 : "Semangat Mengasah Ilmu", seorang murid, lebih tepat disebut penanya, biasanya kurang memiliki ketundukan hati, kecerdasannya dilingkupi oleh ego. Mirip seperti jiwa muda yang baru belajar karate, baru dua tiga jurus sudah berjalan seperti pemain smakdown profesional. Penanya model begini tidak akan mendapatkan apa2, selain menambah ketebalan ego-ego yang membungkus kesadarannya. Namun penanya model ini, kadang akan tunduk juga bila sudah ketemu batunya, atau ada hal2 mendasar yang mampu membuat kecerdasannya tunduk dihadapan seorang guru. Model 4: "Semangat Mengadu Ilmu", ini adalah tingkatan diskusi yang paling parah. Tidak akan ada semangat diskusi yang saling menghargai disini. Yang ada adalah mencari segala macam dalih untuk menunjukkan sesuatu itu benar adanya. Salah - benar dalam diskusi ini tidak penting lagi, yang penting adalah menunggu kelengahan lawan diskusi, hantam dan tekuk. EXTRACTED FROM MIX SOURCES

Tujuh Tata Krama Facebook

Dari Majalah Tempo 15 Februari 2009 www.facebook.com Sekitar 150 juta orang kini menjadi anggota situs sosial ini. Anda bisa menjalin pertemanan baru, mencari sahabat lama, atau bahkan berkampanye disini. Rabu lalu, Facebook berusia lima tahun. Situs jejaring sosial ini telah membantu banyak orang: sekedar mencari teman baru, menemukan sahabat lama, hingga - seperti Barack Obama - menggunakannya sebagai alat kampanye. Seperti teknologi pada umumnya, selain berguna, hasil karya Mark Zuckerberg ini bisa jadi sumber bencana. Di Inggris, dua suami dihukum penjara seumur hidup setelah membunuh istrinya masing-masing yang mengubah status di Facebook dari "married" menjadi "single". Lagi-lagi di Inggris, Juli lalu, Grant Raphael dihukum membayar denda sekitar Rp 400 juta karena membuat account palsu dengan nama Mathew Firsht, mantan rekan bisnisnya. Halaman palsu itu berisi informasi yang salah dan menjelek-jelekkan Firsht serta perusahaannya. Agar "pergerakan" di ruang maya tak sampai mencederai Anda atau peserta Facebook lainnya, berikut ini beberapa etiket yang sebaiknya diperhatikan: Jangan bermain-main dengan "Relationship Status". Banyak masalah muncul ketika seseorang mengubah status, misalnya dari "married" menjadi "single" padahal dia tak bercerai. Bedakan pesan yang bisa ditayangkan di "Wall" dari yang hanya bisa disampaikan melalui "Message" kepada orang tertentu. Anda juga perlu tahu kapan dan siapa yang boleh Anda kenai "Poke", "Super Poke", atau "Gift". Jangan menceritakan secara terbuka pengalaman buruk ataupun affair Anda dengan seseorang, baik melalui foto, video, maupun komentar. "Wall" pada Buku Muka bukanlah ruang terapi. Kalau ingin curhat, gunakan e-mail saja. Agar tidak ribut, hindari meng-add kekasih baru mantan pacar, istri, atau suami Anda. Jika ingin meng-add bekas pacar, istri, atau suami sahabat dekat, sebaiknya bilang dulu ke teman Anda itu. Lebih baik pakai perantara jika ingin meng-add orang yang belum pernah Anda kenal. Jangan membuat account palsu untuk "ngerjain" bekas pacara atau orang yang Anda benci.

Australia’s Uluru

Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in central Australia. Uluru is sacred to the Aboriginal people of the area and the many springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings are revered. This World Heritage Site is Australia's most recognizable natural icon and stands 1,142 ft (348 m) high with a circumference of 5.8 miles (9.4 km). Astonishingly most of its bulk lies below the ground. Uluru’s most magical property is that it appears to change color as light strikes it at various times of the day, with sunset a particularly remarkable sight when it glows red. Any extended trip to Australia must include a visit to this culturally and geographically significant landmark

Adelaide, Australia

Adelaide is the capital of the state of South Australia and was named in honor of Queen Adelaide, the consort of King William IV. Adelaide was founded in 1836 and designed by Colonel William Light. Its location close to the River Torrens is an area that was traditionally inhabited by the Kaurna aboriginal peoples. Adelaide’s early history was shaped by religious freedom and a commitment to civil liberties and today’s Adelaide is known for its wine, arts and sports. Prior to being settled by the British, Adelaide and the surrounding area was inhabited by the Kaurna Aboriginal tribe whose unique custom of burn-offs, or controlled bushfires, were spotted by the early Europeans. As with many tribes throughout Australia, the Kaurna were eventually pushed out of the area and their population dwindled. The wool industry was an early economic strength in the area, along with farming – notably wheat. In 1841, silver was discovered in Glen Osmond and mines sprung up all over the state. The city began to export meat, wool, wine, fruit and wheat and residents enjoyed a prosperous existence. When much of Australia was affected by a severe economic downturn in the 1890s, Adelaide was spared and silver and lead discoveries at Broken Hill propped up the economy. World War I and II resulted in post-war booms and as a result, shipbuilding and defense became valuable assets. The South Australian Government used wartime manufacturing factories to entice companies like General Motors and Chrysler (now Mitsubishi) to use these factories, transforming the city from an agricultural one to an industrial one in a short period of time. Adelaide is home to 70 % of Australia's defense industries, and the government military research institution, and other defense technology organizations are located in the area. Australia's Collins class submarines] and the recent AU$6 billion contract to construct the Royal Australian Navy's new air-warfare destroyers keep Adelaide at the forefront of modern defense, which helps feed the local economy. Port Adelaide, which is situated by the Gulf St Vincent, at the mouth of the Torrens River, is the main trading centre for much of the state.In addition to its superior shipping facilities, Adelaide is known for its production of electronic and motor-vehicle equipment, plastic goods, and textiles. The distribution and export of agricultural products grown in the area are also integral to the local economy

Valentine’s Day

In Ancient Rome, February 15 was Lupercalia. The word Lupercalia comes from lupus, or wolf, so the holiday may be connected with the legendary wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus. Therefore, Lupercalia was a festival local to the city of Rome. The more general Festival of Juno Februa, meaning “Juno the Purifier” or “Juno the Chaste,” was celebrated on February 13-14. Pope Gelasius I (492 – 496 AD) abolished the pagan holiday. Some historians argue that Candlemas (then held on February 14 and later moved to February 2) was promoted as its replacement, but this feast was already being celebrated in Jerusalem by 381 AD. The pope also declared in 496 that the feast of St. Valentine would be on February 14. The most common symbol that represents Valentine’s Day is Cupid (Latin cupido: desire). In Roman mythology, he was the son of Venus, Goddess of Love. His counterpart in Greek mythology was Eros, God of Love. He is best known as the handsome young god who falls in love with the beautiful maiden Psyche. In other tales he may appear as a mischievous boy who indiscriminately wounds both gods and humans with his arrows, thereby causing them to fall deeply in love. Cupid is commonly represented in art as a naked, winged infant, often blindfolded, carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows.

Kotak Korek Api, BREAK YOUR BORDER and TOUCH THE SKY

Kutu anjing adalah binatang yang mampu melompat 300 kali tinggi tubuhnya.Namun, apa yang terjadi bila ia dimasukan ke dalam sebuah kotak korek api kosong lalu dibiarkan disana selama satu hingga dua minggu? Hasilnya, kutu itu sekarang hanya mampu melompat setinggi kotak korek api saja!Kemampuannya melompat 300 kali tinggi tubuhnya tiba-tiba hilang. Ini yang terjadi. Ketika kutu itu berada di dalam kotak korek api ia mencoba melompat tinggi. Tapi ia terbentur dinding kotak korek api. Ia mencoba lagi dan terbentur lagi. Terus begitu sehingga ia mulai ragu akan kemampuannya sendiri. Ia mulai berpikir, "Sepertinya kemampuan saya melompat memang hanya segini." Kemudian loncatannya disesuaikan dengan tinggi kotak korek api. Aman. Dia tidak membentur. Saat itulah dia menjadi sangat yakin, "Nah benar kan ? Kemampuan saya memang cuma segini. Inilah saya!" Ketika kutu itu sudah dikeluarkan dari kotak korek api, dia masih terus merasa bahwa batas kemampuan lompatnya hanya setinggi kotak korek api. Sang kutu pun hidup seperti itu hingga akhir hayat. Kemampuan yang sesungguhnya tidak tampak. Kehidupannya telah dibatasi oleh lingkungannya. Sesungguhnya di dalam diri kita juga banyak kotak korek api. Misalnya anda memiliki atasan yang tidak memiliki kepemimpinan memadai. Dia tipe orang yang selalu takut tersaingi bawahannya, sehingga dia sengaja menghambat perkembangan karir kita. Ketika anda mencoba melompat tinggi, dia tidak pernah memuji, bahkan justru tersinggung. Dia adalah contoh kotak korek api yang bisa mengkerdilkan anda. Teman kerja juga bisa jadi kotak korek api. Coba ingat, ketika dia bicara begini, "Ngapain sih kamu kerja keras seperti itu, kamu nggak bakalan dipromosikan, kok." Ingat! Mereka adalah kotak korek api. Mereka bisa menghambat perkembangan potensi diri Anda. Korek api juga bisa berbentuk kondisi tubuh yang kurang sempurna, tingkat pendidikan yang rendah, kemiskinan, usia dan lain sebagianya. Bila semua itu menjadi kotak korek api maka akan menghambat prestasi dan kemampuan anda yang sesungguhnya tidak tercermin dalam aktivitas sehari-hari. Bila potensi anda yang sesungguhnya ingin muncul, anda harus take action untuk menembus kotak korek api itu. Lihatlah Ucok Baba, dengan tinggi tubuh yang di bawah rata-rata ia mampu menjadi presenter di televisi. Andapun pasti kenal Helen Keller. Dengan mata yang buta, tuli dan "gagu" dia mampu lulus dari Harvard University . Bill Gates tidak menyelesaikan pendidikan sarjananya, namun mampu menjadi "raja" komputer. Andre Wongso, tidak menamatkan sekolah dasar namun mampu menjadi motivator nomor satu di Indonesia . Contoh lain Meneg BUMN, Bapak Sugiharto, yang pernah menjadi seorang pengasong, tukang parkir dan kuli di Pelabuhan. Kemiskinan tidak menghambatnya untuk terus maju. Bahkan sebelum menjadi menteri beliau pernah menjadi eksekutif di salah satu perusahaan ternama. Begitu pula dengan Nelson Mandela. Ia menjadi presiden Afrika Selatan setelah usianya lewat 65 tahun. Kolonel Sanders sukses membangun jaringan restoran fast food ketika usianya sudah lebih dari 62 tahun. Nah, bila anda masih terkungkung dengan kotak korek api, pada hakekatnya anda masih terjajah. Orang-orang seperti Ucok Baba, Helen Keller, Andre Wongso, Sugiharto, Bill Gates dan Nelson Mandela adalah orang yang mampu menembus kungkungan kotak korek api. Merekalah contoh sosok orang yang merdeka, sehingga mampu menembus berbagai keterbatasan. BREAK YOUR BORDER . . . . TOUCH THE SKY . . . . ! Semoga dapat memacu kita untuk berkarya dimanapun ....... Extracted from mix sources

Kotak Korek Api, BREAK YOUR BORDER and TOUCH THE SKY

Kutu anjing adalah binatang yang mampu melompat 300 kali tinggi tubuhnya.Namun, apa yang terjadi bila ia dimasukan ke dalam sebuah kotak korek api kosong lalu dibiarkan disana selama satu hingga dua minggu? Hasilnya, kutu itu sekarang hanya mampu melompat setinggi kotak korek api saja!Kemampuannya melompat 300 kali tinggi tubuhnya tiba-tiba hilang. Ini yang terjadi. Ketika kutu itu berada di dalam kotak korek api ia mencoba melompat tinggi. Tapi ia terbentur dinding kotak korek api. Ia mencoba lagi dan terbentur lagi. Terus begitu sehingga ia mulai ragu akan kemampuannya sendiri. Ia mulai berpikir, "Sepertinya kemampuan saya melompat memang hanya segini." Kemudian loncatannya disesuaikan dengan tinggi kotak korek api. Aman. Dia tidak membentur. Saat itulah dia menjadi sangat yakin, "Nah benar kan ? Kemampuan saya memang cuma segini. Inilah saya!" Ketika kutu itu sudah dikeluarkan dari kotak korek api, dia masih terus merasa bahwa batas kemampuan lompatnya hanya setinggi kotak korek api. Sang kutu pun hidup seperti itu hingga akhir hayat. Kemampuan yang sesungguhnya tidak tampak. Kehidupannya telah dibatasi oleh lingkungannya. Sesungguhnya di dalam diri kita juga banyak kotak korek api. Misalnya anda memiliki atasan yang tidak memiliki kepemimpinan memadai. Dia tipe orang yang selalu takut tersaingi bawahannya, sehingga dia sengaja menghambat perkembangan karir kita. Ketika anda mencoba melompat tinggi, dia tidak pernah memuji, bahkan justru tersinggung. Dia adalah contoh kotak korek api yang bisa mengkerdilkan anda. Teman kerja juga bisa jadi kotak korek api. Coba ingat, ketika dia bicara begini, "Ngapain sih kamu kerja keras seperti itu, kamu nggak bakalan dipromosikan, kok." Ingat! Mereka adalah kotak korek api. Mereka bisa menghambat perkembangan potensi diri Anda. Korek api juga bisa berbentuk kondisi tubuh yang kurang sempurna, tingkat pendidikan yang rendah, kemiskinan, usia dan lain sebagianya. Bila semua itu menjadi kotak korek api maka akan menghambat prestasi dan kemampuan anda yang sesungguhnya tidak tercermin dalam aktivitas sehari-hari. Bila potensi anda yang sesungguhnya ingin muncul, anda harus take action untuk menembus kotak korek api itu. Lihatlah Ucok Baba, dengan tinggi tubuh yang di bawah rata-rata ia mampu menjadi presenter di televisi. Andapun pasti kenal Helen Keller. Dengan mata yang buta, tuli dan "gagu" dia mampu lulus dari Harvard University . Bill Gates tidak menyelesaikan pendidikan sarjananya, namun mampu menjadi "raja" komputer. Andre Wongso, tidak menamatkan sekolah dasar namun mampu menjadi motivator nomor satu di Indonesia . Contoh lain Meneg BUMN, Bapak Sugiharto, yang pernah menjadi seorang pengasong, tukang parkir dan kuli di Pelabuhan. Kemiskinan tidak menghambatnya untuk terus maju. Bahkan sebelum menjadi menteri beliau pernah menjadi eksekutif di salah satu perusahaan ternama. Begitu pula dengan Nelson Mandela. Ia menjadi presiden Afrika Selatan setelah usianya lewat 65 tahun. Kolonel Sanders sukses membangun jaringan restoran fast food ketika usianya sudah lebih dari 62 tahun. Nah, bila anda masih terkungkung dengan kotak korek api, pada hakekatnya anda masih terjajah. Orang-orang seperti Ucok Baba, Helen Keller, Andre Wongso, Sugiharto, Bill Gates dan Nelson Mandela adalah orang yang mampu menembus kungkungan kotak korek api. Merekalah contoh sosok orang yang merdeka, sehingga mampu menembus berbagai keterbatasan. BREAK YOUR BORDER . . . . TOUCH THE SKY . . . . ! Semoga dapat memacu kita untuk berkarya dimanapun ....... Extracted from mix sources

Melbourne, Australia

The second largest city in Australia and the capital of Victoria, Melbourne sometimes has trouble escaping Sydney's shadow. But life can be good in the shade; Melbourne reigns over Australia culturally and has been dubbed one of the planet's most livable cities. Distinctive neighborhoods, leafy streets and the clean, efficient transport system means that Melbourne rarely feels like a city of 3.5 million people. The exotic fauna of Melbourne Zoo, the grizzly images of Old Melbourne Gaol, and the relaxing atmosphere of well-preserved Victorian residential neighborhoods draw thousands of weekend sightseers and world travelers, while the multiple Mediterranean and Asian communities enrich the city's cuisine. The 19th century architecture has been utilized, rather than mothballed in historical museums. Consequently, central Melbourne displays ornamental Victorian structures standing proudly beside steel. Settled by Sydney expatriates, Melbourne quickly established itself in the first year of Queen Victoria's reign and embarked on an era of growth and development that powerfully shaped the city's character. The mid-19th century Victoria gold rush provided the wealth that built so many distinctive structures and established an extensive network of wealth and beautiful public green spaces.

How to Write a Crew Resume or CV

You can send your resume/CV to every crew agent on the planet, it doesn't mean they are going to read or even open them. This section covers how to write a resume that Crew Agents will actually open.Section 2 covers what your resume/CV should include We get 100’s of resumes each year and it’s fair to say that we have learnt what we like, don’t like and actively dread. Writing a resume in this field plays a critical part in getting you noticed. Your resume is your foot in the door, one that might be 8’000 miles away. It is going to take something pretty impressive to open that door. Getting Your Resume/CV Email Read Your Subject Line‘Yact jobs’ won’t help your cause. Get your spelling right.It is a good idea to state the position you are looking for in the subject line of your email. For example: Experienced Stewardess Seeking Motor Yacht position 50m plus Your Cover EmailAlways send a cover email. It is an important way of introducing yourself. Email may be a more informal approach but that doesn’t mean you should forget every grammar lesson and skip the spell check. A blank email with an attachment does not impress or inspire confidence and can be very annoying. AttachmentsA blank email with an attachment will almost certainly never be opened. Don’t waste your time sending it. Write the cover letter. Don’t send your resume in fancy attachments. For example we get a number of resumes sent for some reason in excel. We can’t open these. If you are unsure simply send it as an .rtf or .doc file. Say what job you are looking forIt is astonishing how many people actually leave this out. Being female doesn’t necessarily mean you are looking for a stewardess job, you could be one of a growing number of female engineers or Captains. DesperationEven if you are experienced at interior and exterior having worked as deckhand, stew and crew chef, don’t be tempted to say you are looking for any of those positions. State the position you would like most. Keep it shortBear in mind that your resume is frequently being read on screen so be short, sweet and succinct. Don’t waffle but equally don’t leave out anything relevant. Your resume should be no more than two or three pages. Fonts and ColoursUse a sans serif type font like Verdana or Arial as these are much easier to read on screen. Don’t change from font to font.Do not use different font colours and table cell colours. Black with Bold is fine Proofread x 100Then ask someone to read your resume. Ideally someone who wont be shy to tell you your grammar is lousy and your spelling is even worse. White space countsReaders like clean open spaces. If you have a lot to say use bullet points and keep sentences short but also remember your resume must express your character so don’t be overly abrupt. What if your name is Suchta Norbert?I don’t know if Suchta is a male or female name, equally I am not sure if it a first name or second. I do know a man with Norbert as a first name. Make your sex clear. This also pertains to names like Alex, Lee, Robin, Nicky, Cameron, Kim etc. Don’t include massive scans of documents. Scanned references not to mention scans of all your seamanship papers from when you were 16, 17, 21 etc. Seriously, I am sure if anyone wants to see them they will ask you to send them in. PhotosPLEASE! No shots of you at the pub clutching a beer with a mates arm slung around your neck. Save those for Facebook. Your photo should present a professional image; a head and shoulders shot with you neatly dressed and well presented with a simple or blank background. Keep your image size small. No one will thank you for a photo so big that only your nostril fits on screen.Equally please don’t send images that are so small that one can only see eyebrows and chin. Part A Your Cover Letter This letter should be well written, spell & grammar checked. It should have a salutation, not simply 'Hi'. Your cover letter should capture in brief your personality and say what job you are looking for and when you are available. Sign off with your full name, (first name first) and your contact information. -- Part B Rollover image CURRICULUM- VITAE CV’s should generally be up to 2 pages long, in a word document and up to 200KB’s in size. YOUR NAME Personal Information Date of Birth: Nationality: Email address: Current location: Mobile telephone: (include International Dialling code )Visa’s: Marital Status: ENG1 Medical Certification: Driving License: Mother tongue:Languages: Visible Tattoos:Smoker: Maritime Qualifications STCW95 – (Add name of school, and month/year qualification issued)RYAMCARecreational Boat LicenseAdditional Qualifications (Such as Scuba diving etc) Profile/Career Objective A brief outline of the career path you wish to follow, whether you are looking for a permanent or seasonal position, whether you are looking for motor or sail, size of vessel etc. Previous Maritime Experience – Please list most recent first Name of Vessel (State whether private or charter)MY or SY / LengthDates (Month and Year)Position held onboardBrief Job Description detailing your duties. (If you have significant gaps in your work history please explain briefly what you were doing during this time. You don’t want the skipper to wonder if those missing years were spent in prison.) Additional Work ExperienceHere list any other work experience you may have. Close detail is not essential. Your Hobbies and Leisure ActivitiesThis tells us a little of who you are and it can give an indication of how well you would fit in with the other crew on the yacht. References Please ensure you include the time zone of your referee. He or she will be less likely to say you are wonderful if a crew agent has woken them out of a deep sleep at 2am with a phone call. Include your referees email address too. Security checks are also undertaken, so criminal records will surface.

Australian Continent

In 1770, Captain Cook in HMS Endeavour sighted the Australian Continent at Point Hicks and proceeding north explored and charted the whole of the east coast to Cape York, the north extremity of the continent. The Union Jack was hoisted on Possession Island in Endeavour Strait, on 23rd August 1770, and took possession of the north and east coasts of Australia in the name of King George III. The Union Jack was hoisted in Botany Bay in April 1770, and the first British colony was established in Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, on 7th February 1788.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge carries rail, vehicular, and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. In combination with the Sydney Opera House, the vista of these two landmarks has long been the iconic image of Sydney known all over the world. The bridge was the city's tallest structure until 1967. According to Guinness World Records, it is the widest long-span bridge in the world, the highest steel arch bridge with the top of the bridge standing 429.6 feet (134 meters) above the harbor, and the fourth-longest spanning-arch bridge in the world. In 1815, it was proposed that a bridge be built across the harbor but nothing came of this. In 1890, a royal commission determined that there was a heavy level of ferry traffic in the Sydney Harbour area, best relieved with the construction of a bridge. Pre-construction began in 1923 with the demolition of 800 homes and construction of the bridge itself began in December of 1928. Construction of the arch of the bridge began in 1929, and once the arch halves were completed the cables used to hold them up were slowly released to bring the two halves of the arch together. On August19, 1930 they were joined and have remained joined since then. The road and the two sets of tram and railway tracks were completed in 1931, along with power and telephone lines, and water, gas and drainage pipes. On January 19, 1932 the first test train safely crossed the bridge

The Tasman Sea

This sea is the stretch of water between Australia and New Zealand. It is named after the famous Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman. Who also gave the name to Tasmania. Tasmania is an Island approximately 120 nautical miles south of Melbourne famous for the Tasmanian devil. Abel Tasman being the first European to lay eyes on the Island however gave it the name “Van Diemen Land” after his sponsor in 1642. It was officially renamed in honor of its first European discoverer on 1 January 1856 in Tasmania

Sydney, Australia

Sydney, maybe the most known city down under due to its fabulous harbor featuring the “Opera House” and the “Sydney harbor bridge”. However the capital of Australia is not Sydney but Canberra a city about 120 miles inland. Sydney is the main port of Australia, not only for a wide variety of cargoes, but also as the major cruise destination. Sydney is the most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of over 4.2 million people. It is the state capital of New South Wales and is located on the country’s southeast coast. The first European colony in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip who led the First Fleet from Britain. Built around Port Jackson, which includes Sydney Harbour, the city of Sydney has been nicknamed the “Harbour City.” Sydney is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Blue Mountains to the west, the Hawkesbury River to the north and the Woronora Plateau to the south. It lies on a submerged coastline, where the ocean level has risen to flood deep river valleys carved in the sandstone. One of these valleys, Port Jackson, better known as Sydney Harbour, is the largest natural harbor in the world. The Sydney region has been populated by indigenous Australians for at least 30,000 years. At the time of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, 4000 - 8000 Aboriginal people lived in the region, with three language groups refined into dialects spoken by smaller clans. Urbanization has destroyed most evidence of these early settlements, however, Sydney and its environs are well known for numerous rock drawings and carvings in the sandstone. Several gold rushes, starting in 1851, brought waves of people arriving from around the world and the rapid suburban development that began in the last quarter of the 19th century continues today, giving Sydney its cosmopolitan flair.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge

The Sydney Harbour Bridge carries rail, vehicular, and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. In combination with the Sydney Opera House, the vista of these two landmarks has long been the iconic image of Sydney known all over the world. The bridge was the city's tallest structure until 1967. According to Guinness World Records, it is the widest long-span bridge in the world, the highest steel arch bridge with the top of the bridge standing 429.6 feet (134 meters) above the harbor, and the fourth-longest spanning-arch bridge in the world. In 1815, it was proposed that a bridge be built across the harbor but nothing came of this. In 1890, a royal commission determined that there was a heavy level of ferry traffic in the Sydney Harbour area, best relieved with the construction of a bridge. Pre-construction began in 1923 with the demolition of 800 homes and construction of the bridge itself began in December of 1928. Construction of the arch of the bridge began in 1929, and once the arch halves were completed the cables used to hold them up were slowly released to bring the two halves of the arch together. On August19, 1930 they were joined and have remained joined since then. The road and the two sets of tram and railway tracks were completed in 1931, along with power and telephone lines, and water, gas and drainage pipes. On January 19, 1932 the first test train safely crossed the bridge.

Awas, Tersesat Di Jalan Kesuksesan

Senin, 2 Februari 2009 Banyak jalan menuju Roma, banyak pula jalan menjauhi Roma Semua orang normal pasti menginginkan kesuksesan. Dan dari sekian banyak orang yang ingin sukses itu, sebagian besar pasti sudah melakukan segala daya upaya guna mewujudkan keinginan tersebut. Namun demikian, sulit dibantah bahwa pada kenyataannya lebih banyak orang yang gagal daripada yang sukses. Kenapa, ya? Memang banyak orang yang sudah berusaha keras. Cuma tampaknya, jalan yang diambil bukan jalan yang mendekatkan diri ke titik kesuksesan, melainkan malah menjauhkannya dari kesuksesan itu sendiri. Seperti melihat mata air dikejauhan, yang setelah didekati ternyata hanya fatamorgana. Inilah yang saya sebut sebagai “tersesat di jalan kesuksesan”. Berikut adalah 8 (delapan) penyebab yang membuat kita “tersesat”. 1> Berawal Dari Mimpi, Berakhir Dalam Mimpi Boleh dikata sekarang ini setiap orang maklum bahwa sebuah kesuksesan dimulai dari sebuah mimpi. Akan tetapi, yang menjadi masalah adalah bagaimana mengaktualisasikan mimpi itu menjadi kenyataan. Banyak orang terjebak dalam mempersiapkan diri untuk terjun ke jalan kesuksesan. Belajar, mencari modal, mengikuti seminar dan pelatihan, melengkapi peralatan dan perlengkapan untuk bisnis, tapi nyatanya tidak pernah benar-benar berani memulai bisnisnya. Inilah yang disebut “berawal dari mimpi, berakhir dalam mimpi”. 2> Theatrical and Story Book Effect Segala sesuatu yang over dosis tentu kurang baik. Menghadiri seminar atau membaca biografi orang-orang sukses, memang bagus untuk memperkaya wawasan dan memperbanyak referensi. Tapi waspadalah, pada satu titik, kekaguman kita pada materi yang dibawakan -- bahkan bukan tidak mungkin keterpesonaan kita pada sang pembicara -- menimbulkan efek theatrikal. Apa itu? Tidak lain adalah bahwa kita hadir di seminar bagaikan hadir di theater atau bioskop, sangat menikmati jam-jam pertunjukan, tapi tidak membawa manfaat yang nyata saat pulang ke rumah. Begitu juga dengan membaca buku-buku sukses secara berlebihan. Kita terbius dengan cerita orang-orang hebat, tidak ubahnya menikmati buku-buku silat karya Kho Ping Hoo. Terbuai dengan serunya sang cerita, tapi tidak menimbulkan rangsangan untuk kita sendiri “take action”. 3> Personifikasi Mengambil referensi pada seorang figur sukses, mengagumi serta menjadikannya tokoh favorit, adalah sesuatu yang sah-sah saja. Tapi apabila tidak dicermati, pada tingkat yang sudah berlebihan kita akan terpancing untuk mempersonifikasi diri pada sang tokoh. Hal ini tentu akan menimbulkan masalah, karena berusaha menjadi (menjiplak) orang lain merupakan kesia-siaan. Seyogyanyalah kita berusaha untuk menjadi diri sendiri yang sukses. 4> Ingin (Cepat) Kaya Mungkin berbeda dengan apa yang diperkirakan orang, saya terpanggil untuk menyampaikan bahwa keinginan untuk cepat kaya merupakan motivasi yang paling lemah, dibanding jenis motivasi lainnya. Sebabnya adalah, mereka yang terbuai dengan kekayaan, cenderung berperilaku layaknya orang kaya sebelum benar-benar kaya. Sehingga, dengan perilaku yang (biasanya) lebih hura-hura, boros, kurang menghargai waku dan sebagainya, jalan menuju kesuksesan menjadi sangat-sangat terhambat. Lho, bagaimana dengan orang sukses (kaya) yang mengaku bahwa mereka sebelumnya memang sangat ingin menjadi orang kaya? Percayalah, bahwa mereka sukses bukan karena keinginannya untuk menjadi kaya, melainkan oleh passion membalas dendam atas penderitaan yang dialami sebelumnya. Itu yang disebut sebagai Revenge Motivation (motivasi balas dendam), di mana yang bersangkutan sendiri mungkin tidak menyadarinya. 5> Textbook Oriented Ada juga beberapa orang, yang karena tidak tahu harus memulai dari mana, lantas berpaling kepada buku-buku serta teori-teori kesuksesan. Sementara para figur sukses memiliki pandangannya masing-masing, para pakar juga berbeda satu sama lain dalam analisisnya, ditambah kenyataan bahwa ilmu pengetahuan selalu berubah seiring perkembangan jaman, para pengejar kesuksesan tipe ini akan selalu bimbang dan bingung dalam menentukan sepakterjangnya, sehingga tidak pernah sampai ke titik sukses. 6> Hanyut di Zona Nyaman Fenomena mencari modal dengan jalan bekerja terlebih dahulu, mungkin sudah biasa kita dengar. Dan guna pencarian modal itu bisa berproses lebih cepat, wajar kalau orang lantas memburu pekerjaan di perusahaan-perusahaan multinasional yang memberi gaji besar. Karena kelimpahan uang (gaji) yang diterima dalam jumlah besar setiap bulannya terkesan “mudah”, maka para pencari modal tidak akan berhenti sebelum kucuran uang itu berhenti. Dari tahun ke tahun dengan kondisi seperti demikian, maka zona nyaman terbentuk tanpa bisa dibendung sampai masa pensiun tiba. 7> Personality Based, bukan Character Based Pembelajaran, pelatihan, teori dan referensi, semua itu merupakan hal positif yang seharusnya berguna bagi kita untuk mendongkrak diri menuju keberhasilan hidup. Akan tetapi, terkadang sulit untuk mendeteksi apakah penyerapan hal-hal positif dimaksud memang sudah masuk ke dalam alam bawah sadar, ataukah hanya sebatas permukaan kulit saja. Kalau berhasil menyerap segala ilmu pengetahuan yang kita terima sampai ke alam bawah sadar, maka bisa dipastikan kita akan memiliki ketangguhan berbasis karakter. Ketangguhan semacam inilah yang akan membawa kita ke gerbang kesuksesan sejati. Sedangkan penyerapan yang hanya mencapai permukaan kulit, hanya memberi kita “ketangguhan semu” yang rapuh dan getas berbasis penampilan luar. 8> Belajar manajemen bisnis, bukan mencoba berbisnis Banyak jalan menuju ketersesatan, dan jalan sesat itu sungguh menipu. Sebagian orang terpelajar, karena terobsesi dengan “kesuksesan bisnis”, lantas mencoba mempelajari manajemen bisnis dengan sangat tekun dan serius. Akhirnya, karena hanya “belajar” (bukan terjun langsung berpraktik), dan menekuni “manajemen” (bukan menjiwai kepemimpinan), maka jalan ke arah kesuksesan menjadi berliku, dan tidak jarang membuat yang bersangkutan luput sampai di tujuan. Nah, mudah-mudahan pemaparan 8 penyebab ketersesatan di atas, sedikit banyak dapat menambah wawasan dan kewaspadaan kita dalam mengarungi samudera kehidupan yang maha luas ini. Selamat berjuang..! Rusman Hakim Pengamat Kewirausahaan Profec’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Center E-mail: rusman@gacerindo.com Portal: http://www.gacerindo.com Blog: http://rusmanhakim.blogspot.com

Hilo, Hawaii

The coastal town of Hilo is the largest settlement on the island of Hawaii and overlooks Hilo Bay. Mauna Loa, considered an active volcano, and Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano, are located nearby. Hilo is home to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation, one of the world's leading producers of macadamia nuts. Hilo’s location on the eastern side of the island makes it the wettest city in the United States and one of the wettest cities in the world with an average yearly rainfall of 127.77 inches (3245 mm). Some areas of Hilo have been known to receive more than 200 inches of rainfall! Remains of the city’s ancient past are scarce, and except for the oral traditions – not much is known of the area until the early 1800’s when missionaries came to the district, founding several churches. Hilo’s expansion was a direct result of sugar plantations which drew a large Asian population. Because of its location, Hilo is particularly vulnerable to tsunamis. On April 1, 1946, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake near the Aleutian Islands created a huge tsunami that hit Hilo hours later, killing 160 people. As a result, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was established to track these killer waves and provide ample warning. On May 23, 1960, another tsunami, caused by a 9.5 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile, claimed 61 lives allegedly due to people's failure to heed the warning sirens issued by the Center. Downtown Hilo became the city’s cultural center in the 1980s with galleries, museums, cinemas and tourist shopping catering to the ever-increasing visitors from the US mainland and Asia. When the sugar plantations closed in the 1990s, Hilo’s economy slumped severely, but economic growth has seen a recent incline.

History Of The Lei

The beautiful Hawaiian lei is presented upon arriving or leaving as a symbol of affection. This tradition was popularized as tourism between the Hawaiian Islands and the continental United States grew in the 19th and 20th centuries. The flowers most commonly used are the plumeria, lehua blossom and orchid. Traditionally, a lei is presented by bowing slightly and raising it above the heart and may also be accompanied by a kiss. Since the lei is considered a gift, it should never be thrown away casually. As it is a symbol of love, and to throw one away represents throwing away the love of the giver.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii, located on the island of Oahu. It is the largest city in Hawaii and the major port and economic center of the state. The name Honolulu comes from the Hawaiian language and means ‘sheltered harbor’. Flying over the state capitol building, the U.S. flag and the state flag are almost like flags of two separate countries, each symbolizing a culture of its own. In Honolulu, old Hawaiian culture is captured in the grand Iolani Palace, America’s only royal palace. The Iolani served as the last seat of Hawaiian monarchy to King Kalakaua and his successor Queen Liliuokalani. The monarchy was abolished in 1893 when American forces overthrew the Queen-ruler. The palace has since been used as the capitol building for the provisional government of Hawaii, Republic of Hawaii, and finally for the State of Hawaii. Honolulu and Juneau, Alaska are the only two U.S. state capitals that cannot be reached directly by road from the contiguous 48 States. Among the many places that tourists flock to in this popular city are its legendary beaches – such as Waikiki Beach, “Shangri La” the Doris Duke estate near Diamond Head, the Honolulu Academy of Arts and the USS Arizona Memorial located at Pearl Harbor, site of the infamous attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941.

I Am a Hindu

By Deniek G. Sukarya Dear all, an interesting article worth reading. Four years ago, I was flying from JFK NY Airport to SFO to attend a meeting at Monterey, CA an American girl was sitting on the right side, near window seat. It indeed was a long journey - it would take nearly seven hours. I was surprised to see the young girl reading a Bible unusual of young Americans. After some time she smiled and we had few acquaintances talk. I told her that I am from India. Then suddenly the girl asked: 'What's your faith?' 'What?' I didn't understand the question. 'I mean, what's your religion? Are you a Christian? Or a Muslim? 'No!' I replied, 'I am neither Christian nor Muslim'. Apparently she appeared shocked to listen to that. 'Then who are you?' 'I am a Hindu', I said. She looked at me as if she was seeing a caged animal. She could not understand what I was talking about. A common man in Europe or US knows about Christianity and Islam, as they are the leading religions of the world today. But a Hindu, what? I explained to her - I am born to a Hindu father and Hindu mother. Therefore, I am a Hindu by birth. 'Who is your prophet?' she asked. 'We don't have a prophet,' I replied. 'What's your Holy Book?' 'We don't have a single Holy Book, but we have hundreds and thousands of philosophical and sacred scriptures,' I replied. 'Oh, come on at least tell me who is your God?' 'What do you mean by that?' 'Like we have Jesus and Muslims have Allah - don't you have a God?' I thought for a moment. Muslims and Christians believe one God (Male God) who created the world and takes an interest in the humans who inhabit it. Her mind is conditioned with that kind of belief. According to her (or anybody who doesn't know about Hinduism), a religion needs to have one Prophet, one Holy book and one God. The mind is so conditioned and rigidly narrowed down to such a notion that anything else is not acceptable. I understood her perception and concept about faith. You can't compare Hinduism with any of the present leading religions where you have to believe in one concept of god. I tried to explain to her: 'You can believe in one god and he can be a Hindu. You may believe in multiple deities and still you can be a Hindu. What's more - you may not believe in god at all, still you can be a Hindu. An atheist can also be a Hindu.' This sounded very crazy to her. She couldn't imagine a religion so unorganized, still surviving for thousands of years, even after onslaught from foreign forces. 'I don't understand but it seems very interesting. Are you religious?' What can I tell to this American girl? I said: 'I do not go to temple regularly. I do not make any regular rituals. I have learned some of the rituals in my younger days. I still enjoy doing it sometimes. 'Enjoy? Are you not afraid of God?' 'God is a friend. No- I am not afraid of God. Nobody has made any compulsions on me to perform these rituals regularly.' She thought for a while and then asked: 'Have you ever thought of converting to any other religion?' 'Why should I? Even if I challenge some of the rituals and faith in Hinduism, nobody can convert me from Hinduism. Because, being a Hindu allows me to think independently and objectively, without conditioning. I remain as a Hindu never by force, but choice.' I told her that Hinduism is not a religion, but a set of beliefs and practices. It is not a religion like Christianity or Islam because it is not founded by any one person or does not have an organized controlling body like the Church or the Order, I added. There is no institution or authority. 'So, you don't believe in God?' she wanted everything in black and white. 'I didn't say that. I do not discard the divine reality. Our scripture, or Sruthis or Smrithis - Vedas and Upanishads or the Gita - say God might be there or he might not be there. But we pray to that supreme abstract authority (Para Brahma) that is the creator of this universe.' 'Why can't you believe in one personal God?' 'We have a concept - abstract - not a personal god. The concept or notion of a personal God, hiding behind the clouds of secrecy, telling us irrational stories through few men whom he sends as messengers, demanding us to worship him or punish us, does not make sense. I don't think that God is as silly as an autocratic emperor who wants others to respect him or fear him.' I told her that such notions are just fancies of less educated human imagination and fallacies, adding that generally ethnic religious practitioners in Hinduism believe in personal gods. The entry level Hinduism has over-whelming superstitions too. The philosophical side of Hinduism negates all superstitions. 'Good that you agree God might exist. You told that you pray. What is your prayer then?' 'Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavantu. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti,' 'Funny,' she laughed, 'what does it mean?' 'May all the beings in all the worlds be happy. Om Peace, Peace, Peace.' ‘Hmm ...very interesting. I want to learn more about this religion. It is so democratic, broad-minded and free' she exclaimed. 'The fact is Hinduism is a religion of the individual, for the individual and by the individual with its roots in the Vedas and the Bhagavad-Gita. It is all about an individual approaching a personal God in an individual way according to his temperament and inner evolution - it is as simple as that.' 'How does anybody convert to Hinduism?' 'Nobody can convert you to Hinduism, because it is not a religion, but a set of beliefs and practices. Everything is acceptable in Hinduism because there is no single authority or organization either to accept it or to reject it or to oppose it on behalf of Hinduism.' I told her - if you look for meaning in life, don't look for it in religions; don't go from one cult to another or from one guru to the next. For a real seeker, I told her, the Bible itself gives guidelines when it says ' Kingdom of God is within you.' I reminded her of Christ's teaching about the love that we have for each other. That is where you can find the meaning of life. Loving each and every creation of the God is absolute and real. 'Isavasyam idam sarvam' Isam (the God) is present (inhabits) here everywhere - nothing exists separate from the God, because God is present everywhere. Respect every living being and non-living things as God. That's what Hinduism teaches you. Hinduism is referred to as Sanathana Dharma, the eternal faith. It is based on the practice of Dharma, the code of life. The most important aspect of Hinduism is being truthful to oneself. Hinduism has no monopoly on ideas. It is open to all. Hindus believe in one God (not a personal one) expressed in different forms. For them, God is timeless and formless entity. Ancestors of today's Hindus believe in eternal truths and cosmic laws and these truths are opened to anyone who seeks them. But there is a section of Hindus who are either superstitious or turned fanatic to make this an organized religion like others. The British coin the word 'Hindu' and considered it as a religion. I said: 'Religions have become an MLM (multi-level- marketing) industry that has been trying to expand the market share by conversion. The biggest business in today's world is Spirituality. Hinduism is no exception' I am a Hindu primarily because it professes Non-violence - 'Ahimsa Paramo Dharma' - Non violence is the highest duty. I am a Hindu because it doesn't condition my mind with any faith system. A man/ woman who change 's his/her birth religion to another religion is a fake and does not value his/her morals, culture and values in life. Hinduism was the first religion originated. Be proud of your religion and be proud of who you are. Om Namo shiva..... Send it to all Hindus who you think will find it interesting!!!!!!!!!!! Deniek G. Sukarya

"ICE" Campaign

We all carry our mobile phones with names & numbers stored in its memory but nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our closest family or friends. If we were to be involved in an accident or were taken ill, the people attending us would have our mobile phone but wouldn't know who to call. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency? Hence this "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) Campaign ! The concept of "ICE" is catching on quickly. It is a method of contact during emergency situations. As cell phones are carried by the majority of the population, all you need to do is store the number of a contact person or persons who should be contacted during emergency under the name "ICE" ( In Case Of Emergency). The idea was thought up by a paramedic who found that when he went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn't know which number to call. He therefore thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose. In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital Staff would be able to quickly contact the right person by simply dialing the number you have stored as "ICE." For more than one contact name simply enter ICE 1, ICE 2 and ICE 3 etc. A great idea that will make a difference!. Let's spread the Concept of 'ICE' by Storing an ICE number in our mobile phones today!. Please forward this to everyone... It won't take too many 'forwards' before everybody will know about this.... It really could save your life, or put a loved one's mind at rest.Remember: 'ICE' will speak for you when you are not able to....

Keberanian

Suatu ketika seorang Indian muda, mendatangi tenda ayahnya. Di dalam sana, duduk seorang tua, dengan pipa panjang yang mengepulkan asap. Matanya terpejam, tampaksedang bersemadi. Hening. "Ayah, bolehkah aku ikut berburu besok pagi?" tanyaIndian muda itu memecahkan kesunyian disana. Mata sang Ayah membuka perlahan,sorot matanya tajam, memandang ke arah anak paling disayanginya itu. Kepala sukuitu hanya diam."Ya Ayah, bolehkah aku ikut berburu besok? Lihat, aku sudah mengasah pisauku.Kini semuanya tajam dan berkilat." Tangan si kecil merogoh sesuatu dari balikkantung kulitnya. Sang Ayah masih diam mendengarkan. "Aku juga sudah membuatpanah-panah untuk bekalku berburu. Ini, lihatlah Ayah, semuanya pasti tajam.Busurku pun telah kurentangkan agar lentur. Pasti aku akan menjadi Indianpemberani yang hebat seperti Ayah. Ijinkan aku ikut Ayah." Terdengar permintaanmerengek dari si kecil.Suasana masih tetap senyap. Keduanya saling pandang. Terdengar suara berat sangAyah, "Apakah kamu sudah berani untuk berburu? "Ya!" segera saya terdengarjawaban singkat dari si kecil. "Dengan pisau dan panahku, aku akan menjadi yangpaling hebat." Sang Ayah tersenyum, "Baiklah, kamu boleh ikut besok, tapi ingat,kamu harus berjalan di depan pasukan kita. Mengerti?" Sang Indian mudamengangguk.Keesokan hari, pasukan Indian telah siap di pinggir hutan. Kepala suku, danIndian muda, berdiri paling depan. "Hari ini anakku yang akan memimpin perburuankita. Biarkan dia berjalan di depan." Indian muda itu tampak gagah. Ada beberapapisau yang terselip di pinggang. Panah dan busur, tampak melintang penuh dipunggungnya. Ini adalah perburuan pertamanya. Si kecil berteriak nyaring, "ayokita berangkat."Mereka mulai memasuki hutan. Pohon-pohon semakin rapat, dan semak semakinmeninggi. Sinar matahari pun tak leluasa menyinari lebatnya hutan. Mulaiterdengar suara-suara dari binatang yang ada disana. Indian kecil yang tadimelangkah dengan gagah, mulai berjalan hati-hati. Parasnya cemas dan takut.Wajahnya sesekali menengok ke belakang, ke arah sang Ayah. Linglung, dan ngeri.Tiba-tiba terdengar beberapa suara harimau mengaum. "Ayah...!!" teriak si kecil.Tangannya menutup wajah, dan ia berusaha lari ke belakang. Sang Ayah tersenyummelihat kelakuan anaknya, begitupun Indian lainnya."Kenapa? Kamu takut? Apakah pisau dan panahmu telah tumpul? Mana keberanian yangkamu perlihatkan kemarin?" Indian muda itu terdiam. "Bukankah kamu bilang, pisaudan panahmu dapat membuatmu berani? Kenapa kamu takut sekarang? Lihat Nak,keberanian itu bukan berasal dari apa yang kau miliki. Tapi, keberanian itudatang dari sini, dari jiwamu, dari dalam dadamu." Tangan Kepala Suku menunjukke arah dada si kecil."Kalau kamu masih mau jadi Indian pemberani, teruskan langkahmu. Tapi jika, didalam dirimu masih ada jiwa penakut, ikuti langkah kakiku." Indian muda itumasih terdiam. "Setajam apapun pisau dan panah yang kau punya, tak akanmembuatmu berani kalau jiwamu masih penakut. Sekuat apapun busur telah kaurentangkan, tak akan membuatmu gagah jika jiwa pengecut lebih banyak berada didalam dirimu." "...Aauummmm. " Tiba-tiba terdengar suara harimau yang mengaumkembali. Indian muda kembali pucat. Ia memilih untuk berjalan di belakang sangAyah.***Keberanian. Apakah itu keberanian? Keberanian bukanlah rasa yang dimiliki olehorang yang menganggap dirinya memiliki segalanya. Keberanian juga bukanmerupakan rasa yang berasal dari sifat-sifat sombong dan takabur. Keberanianadalah jiwa yang berasal dari dalam hati, dan bukan dari materi yang kitamiliki. Keberanian adalah sesuatu yang tersembunyi yang membuat orang tak pernahgentar walau apapun yang dia hadapi.Saya percaya, keberanian bukan berasal dari apa yang kita sandang atau kitamiliki. Keberanian bukan datang dari apa yang kita pamerkan atau yang kitapunyai. Tapi, teman, keberanian adalah datang dari dalam diri, dari dalam dadakita sendiri. Keberanian adalah sesuatu yang melingkupi perasaan kita, danmenjadi bekal dalam setiap langkah yang kita ayunkan.Teman, mungkin saat ini kita diberikan banyak kemudahan, dan membuat kita merasacukup berani dalam menjalani hidup. Kita mungkin dititipkan kelebihan-kelebihandan membuat kita takabur bahwa semua masalah akan mampu di hadapi. Mungkin saatini kita kaya, rupawan, berpendidikan tinggi, dan berkedudukan bagus, tapiapakah itu bisa menjadi jaminan bahwa kita akan selamanya dapat menjalani hidupini? Apakah itu akan selamanya cukup untuk menjadi bekal kita dalam "perburuan"hidup ini?Jadilah Indian muda yang tetap melangkah, dengan jiwa pemberani yang hadir daridalam hati, dan BUKAN dari pisau dan panah yang telah diasah. Jadilah Indianmuda yang tak pernah gentar mendengar suara harimau, sekeras apapun suara ituterdengar. Jadilah Indian muda yang tetap yakin dengan pilihan keberanian yangia putuskan. Jangan gentar, jangan surut untuk melangkah.

Australia’s “Dot” Art

The popular “dot paintings" of the Aboriginals were originally used in addition to the oral history of their dreamings, or creation legends, and made for cultural purposes, and not the art market. The dots are, in effect, a form of camouflage. Some artists were criticized for having revealed too much of their sacred heritage. As a result, detailed depictions of human figures and ceremonial paraphernalia were removed or modified. These designs and their 'inside' meanings, originally rendered in sand, were not to be written down and 'traded'. Dotting and over-dotting became a means of concealing dangerous, secret designs. Artists are only allowed to paint their tribe’s stories, and only with permission from the tribal elder. The viewing perspective is generally as though looking down from above. However, some artists are permitted to paint the “7 Sisters” dreaming or the “Milky Way” dreaming, an upward view. Since the 1970s this art form has continued to grow in popularity and most major museums in the world contain examples of this fascinating art form.

Sydney Highlights

Bondi Beach is the grand dame of Sydney's beaches. The foreshore is an eclectic mix of ice-cream parlors, designer cafés, and surf fashion stores. Circular Quay is the focal point of the city and is built around Sydney Cove, combining ferry quays, a railway station and harbor walkways, restaurants, buskers and parks. Darling Harbour, once a thriving industrial port, is a leisure park including the Sydney Aquarium and Powerhouse Museum, the Australian National Maritime Museum, and Segaworld amusement park.

Australia’s Natural Wonder

The Great Barrier Reef, which can be seen from outer space, is the world's largest coral reef system and is composed of approximately 3,000 individual reefs, 900 islands and stretches for 1,616 miles (2,600km) over an area of approximately 132,974 square miles (344,400 sq km). Located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia, the reef is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. Billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps build the reef, bit by bit, and the reef supports a wide diversity of life. Truly, one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, a large part is protected as a Marine Park. 30 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises inhabit the reef area. 6 species of sea turtles come to the reef to breed. 15 species of sea grass attract the dugongs and turtles. Saltwater crocodiles live in the mangrove and salt marshes on the coast near the reef. About125 species of shark, stingray, skates or chimera live on the reef and close to 5,000 species of mollusks have been recorded on the reef. 49 species of pipefish and 9 species of seahorse have been recorded and at least 7 species of frog can be found on the islands. More than 200 species of birds (including 40 species of water birds) live on the reef's islands. The islands support 2,195 known plant species, many spread from area to area by the birds. 17 species of sea snake live on the Great Barrier Reef. More than 1,500 species of fish live on the reef, 49 of them are known to mass spawn, with 84 other species spawning elsewhere in their range. 400 species of corals, both hard and soft are found on the reef and 500 hundred species of marine algae or seaweed live on the reef.

Global Positioning System

In GPS, it is the distance and direction from the navigator’s receiver to two or more satellites orbiting Earth. GPS consists of three types of components: satellites in space, control devices on land, and receivers on a craft or carried by hand. Twenty-four artificial satellites orbit 12,500 miles (20,117 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface. On land, electronic control devices track the movement of the satellites and send them signals coded with their precise locations. The satellites continuously broadcast signals telling their exact location and the time each signal was sent. A craft’s receiver picks up these signals. When the receiver picks up signals from two satellites, its internal computer calculates the position of the craft and displays it for the navigator to read and use.

Date Line

The International Date Line, also called Date Line, is an imaginary line extending between the North Pole and the South Pole and arbitrarily demarcating each calendar day from the next. It corresponds along most of its length to the 180th meridian of longitude but deviates eastward through the Bering Strait to avoid dividing Siberia and then deviates westward to include the Aleutian Islands with Alaska. South of the equator, another eastward deviation allows certain island groups to have the same day as New Zealand. The Date Line is a consequence of the worldwide use of timekeeping systems arranged so that local noon corresponds approximately to the time at which the sun crosses the local meridian of longitude. A traveler going completely around the Earth, carrying a clock that he advanced or retarded by one hour whenever he entered a new time zone and a calendar that he advanced by one day whenever his clock indicated midnight, would find on returning to his starting point that the date according to his own experience was different by one day from that kept by persons who had remained at the starting point. The date line provides a standard means of making the needed readjustment. When crossing the Date Line on a westerly course, one loses a day. When crossing on an easterly course, one experiences the same day twice.

Knot

The speed of a ship at sea is measure in knots, each knot being equal to a nautical mile (6076 feet), which is slightly longer than a mile measured on land (5280 feet). In the old days the speed of a ship was ascertained by means of the log line. A long cord with knots at equal distances was released, freely from the stern. By counting the amount of knots in a certain time frame, the sailors could calculate the speed. Now we use a Doppler log. Doppler’s method can calculate the ships speed by the change in frequency of a signal that is send out under water and reflected by the ground or a water layer, back to the ship.

Making Waves

Seawater is rarely still, it is usually moving in waves, tides or currents. Waves are caused by wind blowing across the surface of the ocean. The height of a wave is determined by the wind speed, the length of time the wind has been blowing, and the distance the wave has traveled over the ocean. The highest wave ever recorded had a height of 116 feet, 34 meters, although usually they are much smaller. Waves play a very important role in the shaping of coastlines. Water does not move along with the waves, instead it changes shape as a wave passes, moving in a roughly circular motion, rising towards a wave crest as it arrives and falling as it passes. This motion can be seen by watching a boat: the boat bobs up and down as the wave moves passed it, but does not move along with the waves. There is another type of ocean wave, which is not generated by the winds. These are called ‘tsunami’. They are also popularly called tidal waves. This name is quite wrong though, as they are not caused by tides. Tsunamis are due to earthquakes or the eruption of undersea volcanoes, which move a large amount of water rapidly, disturbing the sea’s surface, creating waves that travel away from the area of the earthquake or volcano. Tsunami’s travel at very high speeds, 470 miles per hour, 750 kilometers per hour. In the open ocean they cause little damage because their wave height is very low, usually less than 3.25 feet, one meter. In shallow water, they slow down and their height increases to 33 feet, 10 meters, or more, causing extensive damage when they hit a shore

Ocean ‘Wind Waves’

The great majority of waves one sees on an ocean beach result from distant winds. Three factors influence the formation of "wind waves": wind speed; distance of open water that the wind has blown over; geometry of the area of wave generation by the wind; and length of time the wind has blown over a given area. All of these factors work together to determine the size and shape of ocean waves. The greater each of the variables, the larger the waves. There are three different types of wind waves that develop over time: ripples, seas, and swells. Ripples appear on smooth water when the wind is light, but die if the wind stops. Seas are created when the wind has blown for a while at a given velocity. They tend to last much longer, even after the wind has died. Swells are waves that have moved away from their area of origin and are unrelated to the local wind conditions. They may be thought of as seas that persist long after the wind that produced them has stopped. Some waves undergo a phenomenon called "breaking". A breaking wave is one whose base can no longer support its top, causing it to collapse. A very large breaking wave can impart a pressure of up to 50 to 100 kilopascals, enough force to crush the hull of a ship. A wave breaks when it runs into shallow water, or when two wave systems oppose and combine forces. Waves can also break if the wind grows strong enough to blow the crest off the base of the wave.

Oceania

Oceania is the name used to designate the region of the earth comprising most of the islands in the Pacific Ocean and consists mostly of island nations comprising thousands of coral atolls and volcanic islands, with small human populations. The subdivisions of Oceania are Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia, which are grouped together in accordance with the physical and cultural characteristics of the inhabitants. As defined by the United Nations, Oceania also includes Australia and New Zealand.

Pilot

A pilot boarded to guide the ship through the way to the harbor's dock side. Local knowledge with regards to navigational features such as water depths, currents, landmarks, lights, buoys and the native language make the pilot an important source of information to dock safely. The boatswain and sailors standing by fore and aft under supervision of a deck-officer. A whole team, communicating with radios, makes sure that the ship docks in a safe and efficient way.

Port Is Left, Starboard Is Right

A novice traveler once said, “How come I have a starboard cabin and a port hole?” A possible derivation of these two words goes back to the early days of rowing ships. As most people are right handed, the rudder was on the right side of the vessel so this side became known as the “the steering boardside” which was eventually abbreviated to starboard side. When these vessels came into the harbor it was safer to berth with the left hand side of the ship against the pier, thus avoiding any possibility of damaging the steering board. Thus, the left side of the vessel became known as the port side.

Quartermaster

If the ship is at anchor, ship’s tender will be used to ferry to and from the shore. The tenders are operated by the Quartermasters, who, at sea, man the steering wheel when the ship is underway. Quartermasters are experienced sailors who have been trained throughout their years at sea in steering the "big ship" as well as the ship's tenders. Sailors, making their way up to Quartermaster, start out as Ordinary Sailors (OS) to become Able Bodies (AB) and eventually Quartermaster. As an addition to the Quartermasters the Sailors AB with enough experience and skill will be driving the tenders as well.

Reef

Reefs are strips or ridges of coral, sand, or rock that lie along the edges of oceans, at or near the surface. They are generally exposed at low tide.

Satellite Television at Sea

In order to run efficiently, and conserve as much energy as possible, satellites beaming television signals are only directed towards huge land masses, where people live. Doesn’t it make sense not to beam a costly television transmission to the middle of the Atlantic or Pacific where there is no one to receive it? What does this mean for us on board the ship? We have a 3.5 meter satellite dish situated on Sports Deck that is on a gyro to constantly hold the signal from the satellite, which it is tuned to, no matter the direction and/or movement of the ship. However, there are many variables still involved that sometimes hinder our reception. If we are sailing far from land, as in the middle of the Pacific or Atlantic, we tend to lose the signal. Also, sailing between two continents the signal can be lost as the satellite usually beams in one language for one continent, and then another satellite must be tuned in to acquire the same language in another continent. The position of the satellite dish on the ship, along with the ship’s position also affects the reception. Most satellites are over the equator, thus we must beam our dish towards the south, however, the dish is right behind the smoke stack of the ship, in order to protect it from the wind and elements. TV networks and program providers place many legal restrictions on what programs can be shown where.

Seabed of the Pacific Ocean

Topographically, the seabed of the Pacific Ocean can be divided into three distinct regions. The middle region (Mid Pacific Ocean) is characterized principally by vast basins of low relief lying at considerable depths, generally from 4000 to 5500 meters. The greater depths are found mostly in the North Pacific Ocean were soundings as much as 6700 meters have been obtained. Oceanic rises are a part of the global mid ocean ridge system, which, in the Pacific Ocean, extends from the Gulf of California to the South of New Zealand.

Seconds Matter

Until the 18th century there was no need to have seconds as a time measurement. It is only with long distance exploration and astronavigation that accurate measurement of time became crucial. In 1772 King George V had to threaten the Board of Longitude with a personal appearance if they did not give John Harrison the prize money of 20,000 pounds for finding longitude.

Swell

Swell is the wave motion caused by a meteorological disturbance, which persists after the disturbance has died down or moved away. Swell often travels for considerable distances out of its generating area, maintaining a constant direction as long as it keeps in deep water. As the swell travels away from its generating area, its height decreases, though its length and speed remain constant, giving rise to the long low regular undulations so characteristic of swell. Two or three swells from different generating areas are often present and these may be partially obscured by the waves also present.

The Bridge of the Ship

The bridge of the ship is equipped with state‑of‑the‑art navigational instruments and is manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. From here navigational officers, quartermasters and look‑outs make sure that we sail a safe course, keeping track of the ship's position and watching for other traffic with the "Rules of the Road" in mind. These rules of the road are the traffic regulations where all the ships have to adhere to. For ocean passages the Master can decide to sail either via a rhumbline or a great circle. A rhumbline is a straight line between two positions on a chart. The shortest distance between two points on the globe however is not a straight line but a so called great circle. The decision whether to use the rhumbline or the great circle is made by taking the difference in distance, the prevailing winds and current into consideration.

The Coriolis Effect

One of the significant changes can be observed after crossing the equator is the manner in which water drains from the sink. North of the equator, water swirls clockwise in the sink basin. South of the equator, water swirls counter-clockwise. The Coriolis Effect causes this, which is the result of the earth’s rotation. Coriolis gives a clockwise acceleration on all free material in the Northern Hemisphere and a counter-clockwise acceleration in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Early Sailing Ships

When we discuss the travels during the Age of Discovery in the 15th and 16th century, it is interesting to look at the ships and navigational skills of the day. Wooden ships, of this time, usually had three masts with five sails. The fore and main sails were square while the aft was a lateen (a triangular sail suspended from a sloping yard attached to the mast). Sails could be trimmed for directional balance. The square rig was used for running downwind in deep water, while the lateen was used for coastal sailing. These sailing ships, compared to the ocean-going vessels of today, were quite small. Columbus’s Santa Maria was 95 feet while the Nina was only 70 feet. The Trinidad, used by Magellan, was only 75 feet, the same size as Sir Francis Drake’s Golden Hind. Walk outside on the Lower Promenade Deck and look at the length of three of the lifeboats, end to end. You are now walking beneath an area that is longer than any of these early sailing ships. Most navigation depended on the skill of the captains, their knowledge of tides and currents, ancient maps, stories of previous travelers and the stars. There were no navigational aids to warn them of dangerous reefs or obstructed passages, no lighthouses or radio communication.

The Equator

The equator is, as the school books say, “The terrestrial great circle whose plane is perpendicular to the polar axis, it is midway between the poles". It is an imaginary line around the globe, everything north of it we call Northern Hemisphere and everything south of it we call Southern Hemisphere. The circumference of the earth at the equator equals 40.000 kilometers or 21.600 nautical miles or 24.840 statue miles.

The Lead Line

Ancient navigators developed a simple but ingenious manual sounding device, called the lead line, which is still in use today. A lead (pronounced ‘led’) line consists of a long rope with a weight at the end. Knots, or colorful markers, tied into the rope mark off every fathom, that is, every 6 feet or 1.8 meters. Navigators can estimate the water depth by counting the markers on the rope as the weight sinks to the bottom.

The Pacific Ocean

Was named by the Portuguese navigator Fernando de Magalhaes, better known as Magellan. When sailing in the Atlantic Ocean in the year 1520, Magellan had to deal with gales and bad weather. When he entered the Pacific Ocean however, he found that the great body of water was placid for days of sailing. He named it El Pacifico, the peaceful one, not knowing that it covered one third of the earth’s surface and gave birth to terrible storms and waves unequaled in any other body of water Apart from the marginal seas along its irregular western rim, it has an area of 64 million square miles (103 million square kilometers) substantially larger than the entire land surface of the globe. Its maximum length north to south is 9,630 miles (15,500 kilometers) from the Bering Strait to Antarctica, and its greatest width is 11,000 miles(17,700 kilometers) from Panama to the Malay Peninsula. Its average depth is 14,040 feet (4,280 meters). The greatest known depth in any of the world's oceans is 36,198 feet (11,033 meters) in the Mariana Trench off Guam.

Tradewinds

Enroute to Hawaii our ship is most probably going to experience winds from the Northeast. These winds are called the Tradewinds and blow from approximately 30 degrees latitude towards the equator, generally the whole year through. The name Tradewinds dates from the 17th and 18th century when expeditions were set out across the ocean. Expeditions from countries at a higher latitude, i.e. Spain, Portugal, England and Holland would first sail southward and then cross the ocean, making full use of the Tradewinds.

The Sandwich Islands

Hawaii was formerly known as the Sandwich Islands, a name given to them by the famous Captain James Cook in honor of the Earl of Sandwich, First Lord of the Admiralty, on discovery of the Islands in 1778. The islands were annexed by the United States August 12, 1896 and formally constituted as the Territory of Hawaii on June 14th, 1900. Statehood was granted in August 1959, when Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States of America.

The State of Hawaii

On August 21, 1959, after 61 years of territorial status and following a currently contested plebiscite in which 90% of islanders voted for statehood, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States of America, with Honolulu as its capital. Today, Honolulu is home to people from throughout the Pacific with no ethnic majority. It’s also the state’s center of business, culture and politics, in addition to being one of the world's prime tourist destinations.